Contemporary Art Meets a Timeless Spirit

The Hennessy V.S Limited Edition Series is renowned for getting stuck into the contemporary art scene and has been praised for its championing of the latest movers and shakers of painting, photography and graphic design. Indeed, their special release bottles – featuring the artworks of their favorite creatives – have gone on to be iconic in their own right, and have helped cement Hennessy’s reputation as a classic cognac which has its finger firmly on the pulse.

Introducing: JonOne

a former tagger once known only within street art circles

This week saw the launch of the latest Hennessy V.S Limited Edition Series, and it’s already garnered a huge amount of interest. Thrust into the limelight with this release is New York City artist JonOne, a former tagger once known only within street art circles, who today is internationally recognized for his sprawling, expressionistic and highly colorful graffiti abstracts.

While JonOne isn’t the first street artist to grace a Hennessy bottle (that honour went to Shepard Fairey, who was best known for his powerful ‘Hope’ poster – an image which became the unofficial emblem of the Obama campaign) the selection of his work is seen by many as a bold choice by Hennessy. It’s unashamedly contemporary, even challenging to some eyes… and yet it undeniably fits the brand’s pioneering, forward-thinking spirit, and will no doubt turn the heads of a younger, fresher audience.

There’s no doubt about the fact that the past decade has seen graffiti move into the mainstream, and it’s expected that many will see Hennessy’s commission as another example of this. However, JonOne – real name John Andrew Perello – doesn’t just talk the talk when it comes to his street art credentials. Born in the Dominican Republic, he cut his teeth on the original Harlem graf scene as a young man, tagging subway cars and honing his craft. As he grew, his style refined itself, gradually coming off the wall and onto the canvas. Before long, he was experimenting with what has become his highly recognizable trademark: vibrant splashes of color, deep, heavy contrasts, abstracted renderings and an iconoclastic approach which cleverly nods to his tagging roots. Today, his work is in high demand, and JonOne regularly exhibits in London, New York, Singapore, and Paris, where he now lives and works.

For his Hennessy design, JonOne went all out. It features his usual sets of primary colors, thickly layered on top of each other in overlapping waves of tone and hue. Said to be representative of the cognac’s flavors, which build up to a delicious and awe-inspiring crescendo on the palate, JonOne’s design is a riot of color and form which brings an uncompromising modernism to this timeless spirit. The artist managed to incorporate some elements of Hennessy’s branding into his design, too – the number 1765 features among the splashes of color, representing the year this world famous distillery was founded.

the spirit inside is also a pinnacle of craftsmanship and the artistry of the distiller

There’s little doubt about the fact that this special edition isn’t going to hang around for long. Collectors are already eyeing up the bottles, and they’ll be snapped up quickly all over the world. Of course, that’s not just because the JonOne artwork adorning the famously shaped glass – the spirit inside is also a pinnacle of craftsmanship and the artistry of the distiller.  Hennessy V.S is a ‘very special’ Cognac, made according to traditional principles, and featuring a blend of the finest Eaux-de-vie taken from all six listed Cognac growing regions. Barrel aged for in Limousin oak barrels for up to five years, it’s a work of art in itself, and one which is sure to get your creative juices flowing.